FOXBORO — From the outside looking in, the Patriots appear to be in big trouble.

They are 6-4 and fighting for their playoff lives.

No team has been hit harder by injuries to key players than the Pats this season.

And, to make matters worse, a loss tomorrow against the Dolphins in Miami would severely damage their playoff hopes and also their chances of winning their sixth consecutive AFC East championship.

But, according to Vince Wilfork, who has been the team spokesman for the defensive linemen this season, and Ellis Hobbs, who has taken over the speaking duties for the defensive backs since Rodney Harrison went down in Week Seven, not only are the Patriots confident that they are going to win in Miami, but they are also focused on making the playoffs.

“Nobody is telling us that our season is over, because if they do tell us that, I’ll tell them something and it’s not nice,” Wilfork said. “We are very confident. We know what’s at stake, and it’s going to start with a win, so we have to win this week against a tough divisional [team] and move forward from there.”

Wilfork and Hobbs believe that if everyone does his job to the best of his ability, that should put the Pats in a good position to be successful the rest of the season.

“This locker room is still the locker room that it was last year,when we went undefeated, and the years before when we won championships,” Wilfork said. “It’s the same locker room, you just have different faces. We’re very confident. It’s a happy group of guys who love what they do. You can’t ask for anything other than that.”

“Nobody in this locker room has changed,” Hobbs said. “We just see it as continuing to push through, whether it’s adversity on the field, off the field, injuries, whatever, we all look at it the same way — it’s something that we have to deal with and continue to move on. There is no sense of dwelling on it. You just keep trying to win.”

When the Patriots played Miami in Week Three, the Dolphins romped, 38-13, and amassed 216 rushing yards.

Hobbs said that not only is a potential playoff spot on the line, but the Patriots’ pride also is at stake.

“You never want to let that happen as an individual, as a teammate and as a team as a whole — go out there and just get thrashed on and embarrassed, so we are definitely going out there to not pick up where we left off, but go back out there and play better football than we did last time,” Hobbs said.

The Patriots had a good week of practice, Wilfork said, and he hopes that will translate into a good game tomorrow.

“We put some good practices together and we feel good about this whole thing, going down there, and hopefully we’ll walk away with a win, but it’s going to take our ‘A’ game,” Wilfork said. “Anything other than our ‘A’ game, and I think we’re going to walk away with an ‘L.’ We’re going to do everything to play that type of game, but it’s a challenge.”

The Patriots are at a fork in the road this week. A lot is on the line tomorrow in Miami.

“For one thing, it’s a division game, and for two, what they did to us the last time we played them, right now it’s a one-game season for us, so we have to put all of our eggs in this basket, and next week do the same thing,” Wilfork said. “We’ll need everybody. This is a tough football team that we’re facing and we know that. We know that they’re going to give their best, and hopefully they get ours.”

“This is what you live for — games in November and December,” Wilfork added. “This will basically determine where you’re going to be in January and February. We have our hands full, but we are looking forward to the challenge.”

Wilfork didn’t guarantee a win over Miami tomorrow, but he has a good feeling about the game.

“I feel very confident going into this week’s game, and I think my teammates feel the same way,” he said.

roblee@projo.com